I think the audible groan my brother and I let out when the names of five writers appeared on-screen during one of thethe most exciting action sequences of the whole film (yeah, the opening titles) kinda says it all. What could've been a heartfelt but self-aware send-off to Fox's Marvel Universe is far too interested in being too many things at once. The film, on the whole, is fun and although Jackman sleekly steps straight back into the role, he lives in the shadow of the franchise's namesake for most of this film, so much-so that the shared title card seems almost undeserved and unfitting. Reynolds' obsession with reminding viewers just how tedious the combination of the Fox universe, the MCU, post-2018 culture and Jackman's comeback is makes for a screenplay that just lacks any real identity.

Combined with Levy's schoolboy, uninspiring visuals and a villain plot that is insultingly bland, Deadpool & Wolverine is frustratingly disappointing because some of the jokes REALLY land, the duo have undeniable charisma and at least two of the action sequences were brilliantly choreographed and executed. Even the cameos were nice, although expectedly tokenistic and under-utilised. Expect a film that's better than all of Marvel's recent output with quite a few enjoyable moments, not something that will reshape the future of the studio and our en masse feelings about it.